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United States Patent O HAIR CURLERS Wilfred Shelton, Sheflield, England Application January 30, 1957, Serial No. 637,115

Claims priority, application Great Britain February 1, 1956 Claims. (Cl. 13240) This invention relates to curlers for use in connection with permanent waving and setting.

Because the hair wound around a curler tends to rotate the curler in the reverse direction to that in which it has been brought close to the root of the hair, the final clipping of the wound hair to the curler is difiicult to accomplish without a movement of the curler away from Consequently, the permanent waving or setting stops short of the root by some distance, which detracts from the general appearance of the permanent waving, and is quite contrary to the desire to carry the wave near to the scalp to delay as long as possible the effect of the growth of the hair.

The object of the invention is to provide a curler that readily enables permanent waving or setting to be elfected very close to the root of the hair by enabling final rotation to be applied after the hair has been tightly wound upon the body of the curler and held there by means of a clip.

According to the present invention, a hair curler comprises an elongated barrel adapted to have the hair wound around it, a clip carrier detachably carried by and in co-axial rotatable connection with an end of the barrel by interengagement of a cylindrical extension on one part with the bore of an annulus on the other part, a springurged catch protruding from one of these two members to engage with a series of recesses round the other,-

and a clip on the carrier adapted to lie alongside the barrel.

With the clip clear of the barrel, the barrel may be rotated about its axis to wind the hair (with the usual gauze, paper and the like) on to it until the wound barrel lies close to the root of the hair. The clip carrier is then applied to an end of the barrel with the clip brought alongside the outside of the tightly wound hair to hold the complete curler against reverse rotation because of the engagement of the catch with one of the recesses. The barrel may then be further rotated with respect to the carrier and clip to eflect a final tightening of the complete curler against the head, where it is held by the catch in whichever of the recesses that it now engages. The hair is thus given its final curl close to the scalp, and the resultant waving commences very close to the root of the hair.

The spring catch may very simply be a small ball, housed in a cavity or hole in or through the member from which it protrudes, with a spring urging it to protruding position. Relative rotation between the two members causes the side of one recess to press the ball into its cavity or hole, the ball then snapping into the next recess, and so on.

The carrier may be reversible on the barrel, so that the clip may either lie alongside the barrel in its operative position, or be caused to extend generally in line with the barrel but in the opposite direction, clear of the hair being wound, yet ready to hand for reversing into operative position when winding is completed.

Although a variety of materials may be used for the 7 2,899,966 Patented Aug. 18, 1959 ice barrel, the carrier, and the clip, the curler according to the invention lends itself to being made of two principal parts moulded from plastic material, the barrel, and the carrier combined with the clip. The interengaging cylindrical extensions and annuli may be accurately formed in mouldings to secure smooth rotation of one member on the other, and the cavity or hole for the ball or other catch and the recesses in which it engages may be formed during moulding. It only remains then to fit the ball or other catch and apply the urging member, and the curler is complete. Plastic material is clean in itself, may be readily kept clean, and is long lasting for this particular purpose, since it is not afiected by the materials used during permanent waving and setting. The ball and spring are advantageously of stainless steel.

Three embodiments of. the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of one form of hair curler according to the invention, with the clip lying clear of the barrel;

Figure 2 is an elevation from the right-hand side of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation corresponding to Figure 1, but with the clip lying alongside the barrel;

Figure 4 is a view in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a scrap section to a larger scale on the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is scrap section corresponding to Figure 5, but showing another form of hair curler according to the invention;

Figure 8 is a section corresponding to Figure 6, but showing yet another form of hair curler according to the invention; and

Figure 9 is a section corresponding to Figure 8, bu showing a slightly modified method of inserting the catch.

1n Figures 1 to 6, a hair curler consists of a barrel 1, a clip carrier 2 and a clip 3 forming an integral extension of the carrier. A cylindrical extension 4 is provided on the barrel 1 and is formed cylindrical with recesses 5 midway of its cylindrical surface. The carrier 2 is an annulus with an axial bore 6 passing right through the carrier 2 and thus open at both ends and is adapted to be a close fit on the extension 4 from either end of the carrier 2. The recesses 5 register with a ball 7 protruding from a radial hole 8 in the carrier 2, which hole breaks into an external groove 9, for the reception of a part-circular spring clip 10 to urge the ball inwards. The inner mouth 11 of the hole 8 is slightly closed for retention of the ball 7 when the carrier 2 is removed from the extension 4 for reversal of the clip.

Thebarrel l is formed with lengthwise grooves 12 and knurling 13 between the grooves, to provide a good grip for the hair which is wound (with the usual gauze, paper, and the like) on the barrel by rotating it about its axis with the clip 3 clear of the barrel, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. When the wound barrel lies close to the root of the hair, the carrier 2 is reversed to bring the clip 3 alongside the outside of the tightly wound hair to hold the complete curler against reverse rotation because of the engagement of the ball 7 with one of the recesses 5. The barrel 1 may then be further rotated, with the assistance of the flat-sided projection 14 provided on the enlarged end 15, relative to the carrier 2 and clip 3 to efiect a final tightening of the complete curler against the head, where it is held by the ball 7 in whichever of the recesses 5 that it now engages. The hair is thus given its final curl close to the scalp and the resultant waving commences very close to the root of 3 the hair. The enlarged end 15 of the barrel also assists in keeping the curled hair on the barrel.

In Figure 7, an annular 16 is formed in a barrel 17 to receive either of a pair of cylindrical extensions 18, 18A extending co-axially in opposite directions from a clip carrier 19, one alongside the clip 20- and theother away from hand parallel to' the clip. Recesses 21, 21A midway of the lengths of the extensions 18, 18A respectively p are adapted to register with a ball 22 protruding from a radial hole 23 in the barrel 17, according to which 'extension is inserted in the annulus 16. The hole 23 breaks into an external grove624, for the reception of a circular spring clip 25 to urge the ball 22 inwards. The inner mouth 26 of the hole 23 is slightly closed for retention of the ball 22 when either extension 18, 18A is removed from the annulus 16 for reversal of the clip.

Figure 8 shows a spring-loaded ball 27 in a blind hole 28 in a cylindrical extension 29 on abarrel 30, the ball 27 registering with radial holes 31 in a clip carrier 32 forming an annulus with a bore 33 fitting the extension 29. The mouth 34 of the hole 28 is slightly closed for retention of the ball 27 when the carrier 32'is removed for reversal of its clip 35.

The spring-loaded ball may be contained in a tubular insert as in Figure 9, in which a pair of spring-loaded balls 36 are retained in a short tube 37 by slightly closing the ends 38 of the tube. The balls 36 protrude from the ends of the tube 37 (which is equal in'length to a bore 39 in a cylindrical extension 29A into which the tube is inserted), to register with radial holes 31A in a clip carrier 32A.

What I claim is: v

l. A hair curler comprising two one-piece members, one of said members being a barrel comprising an elongated portion of substantially circular cross-section, the other of said members being a combined clip and carrier for one said member and comprising an elongated portion, said members further comprising means for rotatably and detachably securing them together with their respective elongated portions either in side by side or in oppositely directed from the point of detachable securement relationship, said means comprising a cylindrical extension at one end of one of said members,'and a cylindrical annulus at one end of the other of said members, said cylindrical annulus having a diameter com.-

mensurate with the diameter of the cylindrical extension,

the opposite end of each of said members being free and unattached, whereby the extension on one of said members may be inserted into the annulus of the other of said members by lengthwise movement only and in such direction as thereby to rotatably support said clip and carrier on said barrel in either of said relationships, and means coacting between the said extension and annulus for adjustably securing the two members together in any rotative position.

2. A hair curler comprising two one-piece members, one of said members being a barrel comprising an elongated portion of substantially circular cross-section, the other of said members being a combined clip and carrier for one said member and comprising an elongated portion, said members further comprising means for rotatably and detachably securing them together with their respective elongated portions either in side by side or in oppositely directed from the point of detachable securement relationship, said means comprising a cylindrical extension at one end of the barrel, and a cylindrical annulus at the carrier end of the clip and carrier, said cylindrical annulus having :a diameter commensurate with the diameter of the cylindrical extension and being open at both ends, the opposite end of each of said members being free and unattached, whereby the extension on the barrel may be inserted into the annulus of the clip and carrier by lengthwise movement only and in such direction as thereby to rotatably support said clip and carrier on said barrel in either of said relationships determined by insertion of the extension into one end or the other of the bore of the annulus, and means coacting between the said extension and annulus for adjustably securing the two members together in any rotative position.

3. A hair curler as in claim 2, wherein the means coacting between said extension and annulus comprises a number of recesses round the extension, a radial hole through the annulus, an external circumferential groove round the annulus into which the radial hole emerges, a ball contained in the radial hole, and a spring clip fitted into the groove to urge the ball into engagement with one of the recesses.

4. A hair curler comprising two one-piece members, one of said members being a barrel comprising an elongated portion of substantially circular cross-section, the other of said members being a combined clip and carrier for one said member and comprising an elongated portion, said members further comprising means for rotatatably and detachably securing them together with their respective elongated portions either in side by side or i 7 in oppositely directed from the point of detachable securement relationship, said means comprising two cylindrical extensions i of equal diameter at the carrier end of the 'clip and carrier, extending in opposite directions parallel to the elongated portion thereof, and a cylindrical annulus at one endof the barrel, said cylindrical annulus having a diameter commensurate with the diameter of the cylindrical extensions, the opposite end of each of said members being free and unattached, whereby either extension on the clip and carrier may be inserted into the annulus of the barrel by lengthwise movement only and in such direction as thereby to rotatably support said clip and carrier on said barrel in either of said relationships, and means coacting between the annulus and either of the extensions for adjustably securing the two members together in any rotative position.

5. A hair curler as in claim 4, wherein the means coacting between the annulus and either of the extensions comprises a number of recesses round each extension, a radial hole through the annulus, an external circumferential groove round the annulus into which the radial hole emerges, a ball contained in the radial hole, and a spring clip fitted into the groove to urge the ball into engagement with one of the recesses of whichever extension has been inserted in the annulus.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,534,649 Witschi Dec. 19, 1950 2,763,270 Carey Sept. 18, 1956 2,772,681 Swenson et al Dec. 4, 1956 

